Phentermine (Adipex vs generic)

ToriRo,
I am just reading your post from February and am curious if you ended up taking the Adipex and what your results/ side effects were. Truly.

This sounds like an amphatamine (addictive - also known as speed) that I was prescribed for weightloss in the early 70s - they were all the rage then and thought to be harnless.

I was like the Energizer Bunny - couldn't stop, couldn't sleep, then couldn't work as I was so tired - a horrible experience and now I am 250 lbs still.

justsomerandomgirl wrote: »

I never said that I wasn't going to work on my diet and exercise regularly? I probably should have made that clear, because it's almost as if everyone is replying with the assumption that I'm just going to rely on the pills to do all of the work. NOT the case. But, in regards to your suggestion, I actually am considering not taking the pills at all (I still haven't started them).

Thanks for the detailed response. This really helps, everyone! I didn't realize that it would have those type of effects. That makes me nervous to start the pills (I got my prescription from Walmart yesterday). Hopefully, I don't have too many side effects and it actually helps me. If not, I'll just get off of them and start using something else like Green Tea pills - do those work? I'm going to start a topic about that. Thanks again!

How about you forget the stupid pills and do it the normal way, by working hard on your diet and engaging in exercise regularly ?

Bah, blasphemy! Take the pills!

A friend of mine here in Aus owns one of the AAA Supplements stores (very popular and the best value for money supps stores in Aus). He got me into thermogenic pills, which sounds to be similar to what you're going to be taking. These particular pills are usually made up of a decent amount of caffeine, as well as a variety of roots, herbs, and thermogenic food-types such as green tea extract. They work rather well for appetite suppression. But for me they're best used as a motivator. I set my alarm for 7am and make sure my phone is out of reach without getting out of bed. That way I can't be lazy and hit snooze or dismiss.

My 7am alarm is to remind me to take a thermo (always have them beside my bed with a bottle of water ready). One goes down the hatch, then I get up and dismiss the alarm and get back in bed. My next alarm to get ready for work goes off at 7:30 but by then the energy has kicked in and I'm fired right up. It's more than enough energy to get me on my exercise bike for 20-30 minutes before having a shower, breakfast then heading to work.

So at the very least, give it a shot. If you don't like it you don't like it. They absolutely wont burn fat without exercise, but they'll give you the kick in the butt you need to do the exercise. I often take a second one around 3 pm at work, which by 6pm means I'm full of beans again for taekwondo.

As long as your doctor says they're okay for you to take, there's no real harm in taking them. And there's nothing wrong with taking supplements to help achieve your goal.

Hope that helps ease your mind.

Lee

Phentermine isn't a caffeine pill. It's prescription speed.

Biting my tongue so hard...this should be a journey to overall wellness and health, mind / body / spirit. Diet speed? Garbage. Maybe it'll work and you'll have amazing results. Maybe you'll end up with serious, possibly long term, awful side effects. Is the 50 bucks worth the risk?

Usually this medication is to be taken in the morning to avoid sleep problems and you work your way up if you are on a large dose. You also don't usually take is more than a few weeks, it's a short term medication. But your doctor will tell you about that. You also risk withdrawal symptoms if you just stop completely. With any medication you do risk side effects. This drug is a stimulant to you can crash if you don't work your way down after the few weeks.

I have taken Adipex more then once; I have only used it more then once because I did not stay on it until I achieved my goal weight. I am using it again now to (hopefully) complete my journey. It works well for me. I have high B/P and don't usually have and issue. It is a great tool and I did not have the excessive re-gain that everyone is scared of. I actually only gained like 10lbs over a 9 month period due to a ridiculous schedule limiting my meal planning. I definitely had a ton of energy and it helps kill my appetite better then anything else I have ever used. Here are some important things I have learned about Adipex.

1) You do have to use this as a TOOL... that is key. If you don't, you will not learn the appropriate way to maintain your weight loss.

2) Everyone is different. some people will not be able to tolerate the increase in metabolism. My body type is high in muscle and my metabolism is slow (per my metabolism test), so the increase is a major benefit for me as long as I am sure to try and complete my protein goal daily (which can be hard for a Lacto-Ovo-Pescatarian).

3) I can definitely tell the difference between the brand (Adipex) and the generic (Phentermine). The generic is much more mild then the brand. I am not sure if that has more to do with my particular body type or what...but I can tell the difference. My doctor only prescribes me the brand.

4) Diet and exercise are still key. I lose weight fairly quickly when I utilize all these tools together, but it is not as effective if any one of these tools are missing. Exercise is also an important factor in maintaining and/or reducing my B/P.

5) You have to learn to increase nutrient rich foods within your specific calorie/micro/macro limits. Filling your day with useless calories will still cause you to feel hungry or like your missing something.

6) ASK QUESTIONS! Your doctor/NP/clinic is there for a reason. If you feel like you are stuck or not effectively losing... ask for help. They may help you adjust your diet or switch up your workout routine or both. You never know until you ask.

7) MEAL PREP and track your intake and exercise on MFP! If this works for you, there is a strong possibility that you may forget to eat until you are used to it. If your day is planned and you already have it logged so you know exactly where you are, you will be much more successful. I tend to input my meals the day before as I get ready for work so I don't have to remember to do it during my busy day. If I am off, I just input as I go. I also carry healthy snacks so that I can add calories if needed without adding excessive sugar, fat, carbs, trans fats, and/or salt.

An ex very good friend of mine started phentermine because she didn't want to put in the work involved to lose weight. You can even see some of my old posts on here with my concerns. She lost 16-20 pounds in the first two weeks and when I checked her MFP, she was only eating 400-700 calories a day. I was really concerned for her health, we had a lot of arguments about it and I eventually lost that friendship. That was about a year ago. She now has gained all the weight back plus more and she experienced severe hairloss that she is still trying to recover from. So choose wisely.